Behind the Scenes: A little practice can change a life

Life is full of “what ifs” and “might have beens.” We all wonder on occasion how our lives might have changed if we had worked harder in one particular subject in school or been encouraged to pursue one kind of activity over another.

Herald-Tribune Arts Editor and one-time clarinetist Jay Handelman marching with the River Dell High School Marching Band in New Jersey in 1975

As another summer of the Sarasota Music Festival begins, bringing dozens of supremely talented young musicians to town for three weeks of classes, rehearsals, workshops and concerts, I’ve been considering where I might be now if I had taken my musical studies a little more seriously.

The truthful answer is that if I had pursued a music career I would probably be an unemployed musician or taking odd jobs whenever I could convince someone to hire me. A bit of natural talent is important when it comes to the arts, but it also takes more focused attention on all aspects of the work, the art and the job. In short, as with any career, it requires a passion for the subject to do all that is required to succeed. I lacked the interest and discipline to make music more than a hobby and a side interest in my life.

I started studying piano when I was about 5 years old, taking lessons from a woman who lived across the street from me and moved on to several other teachers over the years who helped me advance from my “John Thompson’s Teaching Little Fingers to Play” book. In fourth grade, I picked up the trumpet in school, but I gave myself headaches trying to play the thing (to say nothing about what it must have done to my parents and two older brothers when I was practicing).

The following year, I switched to the clarinet, a far more sensible instrument, at least in terms of noise levels, and was able to take private lessons in addition to whatever instruction I got in school.

The River Dell High School Marching Band performs at a July 4 concert in River Edge, N.J. in 1975.

I kept up the clarinet all through high school. By senior year (and for reasons I don’t quite remember) our band director switched me from the traditional B-flat clarinet to the higher-toned E-flat, the piccolo of clarinets. I always wondered if it was because I wasn’t good enough to be in the first clarinet section, but then, that high-pitched E-flat would stand out more if I made a mistake.

I did love playing in the concert band and orchestra (not so much the marching band where we sweated or froze through too many football games and community parades). I liked working with my classmates to make music. We were learning together.

And that was the real benefit of all those years of rehearsals and performances. We played excerpts of great music, and now I have a greater appreciation of the music I hear at classical concerts, even if it’s unfamiliar. And we were a team. Maybe we weren’t as popular as the football team, but it offered its own kind of camaraderie.

My clarinet now rests hidden in a closet in my home. I used to pull it out every so often but it needs some repairs. My piano gets only slightly more of a workout on the rare days when I find time to sit down and frustrate myself.

That’s when I wish I had spent more time practicing, appreciating the challenge of tackling another piece of music and figuring out how to make it my own. Fortunately, I found another path as a writer and critic where I can take on different kinds of challenges and feel the reward of years of practice.

Jay Handelman

Jay Handelman is the theater and television critic for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where he has worked since 1984. He also is President of the Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association and a two-time past chairman of the association's executive committee. He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4931. Follow him at @jayhandelman on Twitter. Make sure to "Like" Arts Sarasota on Facebook for news and reviews of the arts.

Last modified: June 3, 2016
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